Just announced, Unions have shared more details about the layoffs occurring at the Walt Disney Company. Service Trade Council says that Disney will lay off 8,800 part-time Cast Members at Walt Disney World.
This is thousands more part-time Cast Members than originally shared, and this could have a devastating impact on Central Florida economy. Though we knew that 28,000 Disney Parks Cast Members were being laid off, we didn’t know how many would be unionized or non-unionized. We have now found out that of the 28,000 CMs being laid off across Disneyland and Disney World, 8,800 are part-time unionized CMs.
Read details in the tweets from @HazenWESH below:
UNION LAYOFFS AT #DISNEY: Service Trades Council, says 8,800 part-time members are being laid off.
Says full-timers will not be FORCED into layoff status, but will be able to come back to their old jobs when business picks up, or return to a different position #WESH— Bob Hazen WESH (@HazenWESH) October 7, 2020
Related: FL Mayor Plants to Help Families Impacted by Disney Layoffs
This Tweet from Scutt Gustin gives more context to the situation, and also shares the document from the Service Trades Council:
Unions (STCU) representing 43,000 WDW CMs say no full-time CMs will be forced from furlough to layoff.
Union says Disney originally planned 5,299 full-time layoffs. However, 8,800 part-time CMs will be laid off.
CMs will be given right to return to job through Oct. 2022. pic.twitter.com/PvheOhzDrw
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) October 7, 2020
Here is what the Local 737 Official Facebook page posted about the news,
The 6 STCU unions have reached an agreement about Disney announced layoffs!
No Full-Time Cast Members will be forced into a layoff!
No Cast Members will be permanently laid-off!
Read the statement from all 6 Unions here. We are scheduling meetings with our Shop Stewards and Committee members for later today. We will have Facebook Live meetings for all Union members very soon.
Analysts have already predicted what these numerous layoffs could do to the economy of Central Florida. Here is what Orange County Comptroller Phil Diamond said on the impact of the Disney layoffs,
“You think about people who are going to have challenges paying the rent, paying the mortgage, paying the other bills keeping their health insurance, and taking care of their family. That’s a huge impact on people,”
Disney is not the only Central Florida employer who is downsizing staff by the thousands, Universal, Rosen, and Seawold are also seeing sizable cuts. You can read all about the job losses in Central Florida here.
What do you think about this news?